Beacon
vs Gillingham
Beacon has the younger population: 14% of residents are aged 15–29, against 13% in Gillingham. Homes in Beacon sold for a median of £449,000, 59% above Gillingham. Beacon has more green space nearby (20% within 500 m, against 15%).
People
Beacon has 5,169 residents in 1,989 households; Gillingham has 15,526 in 6,961. Beacon has the higher share of residents aged 65 and over: 30%, 1.6 percentage points more than Gillingham (Dorset: 30%). Gillingham has the higher share of people living alone: 31%, 6.3 percentage points more than Beacon (Dorset: 31%).
Homes and prices
In both, detached houses are the most common type of home: 61% of homes in Beacon and 42% in Gillingham. Beacon has the higher share of owner-occupied homes: 79%, 7 percentage points more than Gillingham (Dorset: 70%). Gillingham has the higher share of private renting: 17%, 3.5 percentage points more than Beacon (Dorset: 16%). Over two years, homes sold for a median of £449,000 in Beacon and £282,500 in Gillingham, against £345,000 across Dorset.
Surroundings
Beacon has the higher share of land within 500 m that is green space: 20%, 4.5 percentage points more than Gillingham (Dorset: 26%). A typical postcode has 5 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk in Beacon, and 23 in Gillingham. The typical postcode is 2,231 m from the nearest school in Beacon and 671 m in Gillingham. The typical postcode is 9,795 m from the nearest tram stop or railway station in Beacon and 1,538 m in Gillingham. Gigabit-capable broadband reaches 90% of premises in Beacon and 83% in Gillingham.
Safety
Over 12 months, police recorded 41 crimes and incidents per 1,000 residents in Beacon and 41 in Gillingham, against 56 across Dorset. Police.uk records crimes by approximate location, not by where victims or offenders live. Busy streets, shops, stations and nightlife record more. Figures are counts, not a measure of personal risk.
Sources: Census 2021 (ONS) · HM Land Registry Price Paid Data · official school registers · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Environment Agency · data.police.uk, 12 months to Aug 2026 · Ofcom Connected Nations
In brief.
Each ward in a few lines, from its own page.
Beacon is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 5,169 people in 1,989 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £449,000 over the past two years, 30% above the Dorset median. On average 20% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 25% below the Dorset average.
Gillingham is one of 52 wards in Dorset, home to 15,526 people in 6,961 households (Census 2021). Homes sold for a median of £282,500 over the past two years, 18% below the Dorset median. On average 15% of the land within 500 metres of a home postcode is green space — 42% below the Dorset average.
More comparisons.
Beacon and Gillingham next to other wards of Dorset.